Something to Fight For
by Tygra's Kitten Hina
Summary: A scuffle leaves them in caught in a landslide and trapped in a cave, Alluro and Bengali learn a bit more about each other and the reasons they keep fighting each other at different ends of the same spectrum. Hints of BenMyra (BengalixPumyra), Chilluro (AlluroxChilla). An almost Bengalluro (BengalixAlluro) friendship fic. Rated for slight swearing.


_Disclaimer: Bengali, Alluro, and all things _**Thundercats** _related belong to _**Lorimar Telepictures, Warner Brothers, Rankin/Bass,** _and _**Ted Wolf.**_ All I own is the plot to this story. _

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Something to Fight For

His blue eyes glared at the Lunatak sitting at the opposite wall across from him. He could feel the fur all on the back of his neck standing up on end. Bengali didn't trust this long eared Lunatak with his high intelligence, psyche club, and his cunning ways. Many a time did the white tiger tangle with Alluro, desperately trying to protect his beloved Pumyra and his friends. But now their latest scuffle had forced them to be trapped in this hell hole of a cave blocked by a landslide. Of course, it was all Alluro's fault. Just as Chilla was about breathe in deeply to expel a freezing blizzard at Pumyra, Bengali had whipped out his hammer and aimed it at the icy Lunatak when Alluro had lunged at him, making the laser from his hammer miss and hit some nearby rocks instead, ceasing a rock slide to separate the Thundercat and Lunatak from their female companions.

_If he hadn't messed with Pumyra, we wouldn't be in this situation. _Bengali thought bitterly, his blue eyes became brittle like ice and he felt a painful twinge in his heart at the thought. His beloved Pumyra was somewhere washed up into some underground spring with that accursed Mistress of Frost, Chilla. How he wanted to be by her side, protecting her with all that he was.

Alluro just rolled his eyes, examining the remnants of his own broken Club. The small blue orb had been shattered thanks to that damned Thundercat's laser hammer. _Great, stuck in this place with that pin striped white lion. _The Lunatak thought bitterly, but at least he wasn't wasting his energy glaring and growling angrily. In a situation like this, it was best to just play it cool and remain calm. His red eyes flickered to Bengali. If looks could kill, Alluro would be dead thirty times over or the saying would go.

"I wouldn't waste my energy being angry, Thundercat." Alluro said softly, brushing some specks of dust off of his brown trousers. He could still feel Bengali's cold gaze on him.

"Why shouldn't I be angry, Lunatak?" Bengali growled, though he secretly agreed with the Troll. Being angry wouldn't help things any. How many times has his own anger and cockiness gotten him and the Thundercats in trouble? He had lost count after attempting to sneak into Sky Tomb to rescue Pumyra and the wily Thunderkittens. After that little adventure, Tygra, Panthro, and Lynx-O had scolded him like no tomorrow, particularly Lynx-O. But he wasn't going to mess up this time. Nor was he going to let his guard down. Even without his Psyche Club, Alluro was still a smooth talker and he was sure that the damned Lunatak had some kind of trick up his sleeve. "Chilla was going to hurt my beloved Pumyra. Shouldn't I have the right to be angry after you foiled my attempt to save her?" Bengali's voice cracked, nearly turning into a snarl. He couldn't help it. His mind was racing with worry over the Puma.

Alluro felt his own heart leaping, but he masked his own fears, glaring darkly at the tiger. "Come now, you think I would really let some filthy Cat win against a Lunatak? Especially some love struck _Kitten_?" he hissed.

Bengali just growled, his muscles tightening in anger. "Love struck? What do you know about love, Lunatak? You weren't saving Chilla; you were just saving your own ass!" Bengali's eyes were mere slits now; anger was beginning to take a hold of him, if it hasn't already. "All you Lunataks know how to do is fight, quarrel, and strike fear into the hearts of innocent victims! You're all nothing but _murders_!"

Alluro's eyes went wide at this and he found himself getting to his own feet. _Damn! If only the tiger knew… _"Don't you dare pretend to know what I really am? My thoughts and feelings are my own. I wasn't saving my ass; nor did I protect Chilla for the hell of it! I saved her because I l-" His words became caught in his throat and he immediately stopped himself. His heart was beating rapidly in his chest, his stomach twisting up. Was he really just about to say that he loved Chilla? Sure he respected her and all, but did he really protect Chilla out of love? Or did he really do it out of sheer respect for the woman?

Bengali sat there, stunned, not believing his ears. Alluro, cold hearted cunning Alluro almost admitted his love for the Ice Mistress. He clenched his hands tightly, feeling his claws digging into the palms of his hands. The words that the blasted troll spewed were nothing but lie. They were lies to make him pity him. But…

Tears were shining in Alluro's eyes. Bengali could see that. After all this time of fighting the Lunataks, he's never seen the Lunataks cry or show any love towards each other. Let alone shed tears for their companions. But that's what Alluro was doing apparently. He was shedding tears for Chilla. Just as he cares about and loves Pumyra, Alluro cares for and loves Chilla.

_Maybe I had the Lunataks all wrong… _They young tiger thought, but seeing Alluro in this light wasn't going to make him trust him so easily. Or at all for that matter. He watched Alluro breathe in deep.

"Forget it, Thundercat. You and all of your furry friends are so stuck in your ways of fighting for peace that you all assume that even us evil doers can't spare feelings of kindness or love." Alluro muttered. He sat back down and crossed his arms in front of his chest. His heart was racing with worry. Was Chilla fine? Are the other Lunataks even looking for them?

The two of them lapsed into silence for a bit before Bengali's quiet voice broke through the heavy silence, almost startling the Lunatak. "How long have you been in love with her?" Bengali's question made his heart leap. Alluro had to pretend to study the dirt smudged onto his pale palms before glancing at the young Blacksmith. He really didn't know. He saw a strange dreamy expression pass over Bengali's face as some faint memories flickered across the Tiger's face.

"I remember meeting Pumyra back on Thundera when she…first started learning how to be a Healer. She was just starting out in her profession as was I." Bengali began, speaking in a soft loving tone as he talked about his love, "I was with my teacher – my Blacksmith Master – and we got caught in some mining accident that left me with a little bit of Thundrainium in my system. I was sick for awhile, but Pumyra's quick thinking and her knowledge of plants and herbs helped get rid of the poisoning in my system."

Alluro listened with shock on his face. This Cat – his enemy – trusted him with a personal story of falling in love? _Pathetic. What a pathetic ruse. _But Alluro kept his thoughts to himself. He didn't quite trust this young Thundercat, nor was he going to let his own guard down. But since Bengali had shared that… amusing story of Pumyra, perhaps he would share a story of his own.

Bengali heard Alluro cough a bit before hearing something incoherent and quiet coming from the Lunatak. "What was that?" He strained his ears to make out Alluro's words.

"I said I fell in love with Chilla when I first laid eyes on her during our exile here to Third Earth. We were being transported to this backwater planet after attempting to take over Plun-Darr. I was in service of Luna's grandmother back then, mind you. Luna wasn't born until some centuries afterwards and even then she was born here on Third Earth." He saw Bengali give a small smile and he felt himself flushing a bit. "Don't give me that smile, you blasted Thundercat! I – we were young back then and Chilla was just so adorably evil with her…" his heart was beginning to pound hard in his chest; it was beginning to hurt feeling these odd sensations. He's worked so hard on suppressing his emotions to see things logically, but being trapped alone - with this damn Cat – was starting get to him. It was making him vulnerable.

Bengali's laughter broke through his steady stream of thoughts and he glared at him. "Why are you laughing?"

Bengali just shook his head, trying to keep a straight face. It kind of touched his heart hearing that Lunataks had some good in them after all. "Nothing. I mean sorry. I think I really did have you figured all wrong, but…" His expression suddenly hardened and the same distrust slinked back into his heart, "I still can't trust you, Lunatak."

Alluro felt his own distrust of the young Cat returning and he, too, became tense. "It seems we can at least agree on two things. One, we can't trust each other. Two, we both want to protect the women we love."

Bengali almost smiled at those words. He definitely couldn't trust Alluro, but he knew that they were truly fighting for something. They had women who needed them to protect them from harm. They were fighting for love.

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**Dancing Dreamer of Lies: **Yet another one shot featuring Alluro. I'm beginning to enjoy writing about the softer sides of villains. I hoped you enjoyed the hints of Chilla/Alluro and Pumyra/Bengali. Because I sure loved writing about Bengali and Alluro admitting to each other that they love their respected companions.


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